And All Those Years...

I thought teachers were coming down at their own expense to lobby me in Springfield.

Oh, I figured the union was paying for the transportation, but I though the teachers were making a personal financial sacrifice.

Now, looking at the Huntley Education Association contract proposal, you know what I found?

The union is asking for 50 days off for its collective membership for “union related business.”

Don't believe me?

Take a look at the requested contract language change:

H. Association Leave
The Association shall be granted eight (8) fifty 50 days per contract year, for Association Officers members without loss of salary for Association business, including but not limited to Association conferences and conventions, grievance processing, arbitration hearings, hearings before the Illinois Educational Relations Board or other state agencies, and negotiations.

Want to join me and make a wild guess that the teachers getting those days off will spend some of them to go down to Springfield to lobby?

That could be defined as “Association business,” couldn't it?

And there's another request for more time off:

The HEA President will receive part time release time to handle situations that arise within the Association, with the Administration, as well as but not limited to training, management meetings, and disciplinary meetings. (bold provided by teachers union)

The words in bold face type above shows what the teachers' union proposed adding to the contract.

Under this union proposal, if a teacher wanted to meet with the HEA President Christy Henderson to discuss "a situation" (use your imagination), Henderson could leave her classroom as "part time release time" and a substitute teacher would have to be paid to take over the class.

Would District 158 have to have what amounts to a full time substitute teacher "on call" for Mrs. Henderson to "handle situations" as they arise? If so, with about 174 school days and the cost of $100 per day for a substitute teacher, it could cost taxpayers $17,400 for adding this "part time release time" language.

Teachers union officials probably call these two proposals “language improvements.”

In reality, they are examples of how teacher unions in Illinois methodically divert money and resources away from educating students in the classroom.

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The photo was taken in 2006 the night that both the teachers and the Huntley School Board thought that a contract would be signed. School Superintendent John Burkey is explaining to union leaders why board approval will be delayed.

The photo below was taken as Huntley teacher union leaders thanked retiring Huntley School Board members last May.